1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an active energy ray-curable ink, an ink cartridge containing an ink, an image or cured product forming method, and an image or cured product forming device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, an active energy ray-curable ink has been provided to and used for offset printing, silk screen printing, and a top coating agent. In view of merits, such as cost-down through a simplified drying step, or reduction in an amount of a solvent evaporated considering the environment, a usage amount of the active energy ray-curable ink has recently been increased.
As for industrial use, an active energy ray-curable ink has recently been often used for printing on a substrate that is processed. Accordingly, as well as adhesion of an image (cured product) with a substrate, hardness, processability (stretchability, punching processability), and abrasion resistance are required for the image (cured product) obtained with the active energy ray-curable ink.
In most of cases, however, the cured film of the conventional active energy ray-curable ink is hard but brittle. For example, proposed is an ink composition, which has excellent curing ability, and forms an image having excellent blocking resistance, and extensibility (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2010-222385).
Moreover, disclosed is an energy ray-curable ink composition, which is low in viscosity without using a diluent solvent, realizes excellent printing quality to an non-absorbent recording medium, and has especially excellent adhesion to a recording medium (see Japanese Patent (JP-B) No. 4214141).
Moreover, proposed is a method for producing a print using an ink composition for fabrication, which gives a cured product that has high flexibility, and strength resistant to a forming process (see JP-B No. 4865483).
Furthermore, provided is an ink, which contains two monofunctional radical polymerizable monomers, and cyclodextrin or a derivative thereof for achieving desirable adhesion, tackiness, and formability (see JP-B No. 4310355).
Furthermore, provided is an active energy ray-curable ink for ink jet, which gives a coating film having flexibility, and has excellent curability and adhesion (see JP-B No. 4899430).
As for an active energy ray-curable ink for use that requires processability, an active energy ray-curable ink, which provides a cured product having adhesion to a substrate, hardness, and stretchability, has not yet been provided. Therefore, it is desired to promptly provide such an active energy ray-curable ink.